


Papers, Please

by Baleful_Beholder



Category: None - Fandom
Genre: Black Comedy, Orwellian, Other, Satire, Scientific Racism, lamarckism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:27:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27689612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baleful_Beholder/pseuds/Baleful_Beholder
Summary: An Orwellian Black Comedy about Scientific Racism.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Papers, Please

**Author's Note:**

> With this story, I wanted to write something that showed a glimpse into a society that had an outward appearance of normalcy but in actuality operated on very different guidelines than our own. As a black comedy story, it's supposed to make you think about how something horribly wrong and unpleasant (in this case, scientific racism based on Lamarckist logic) could be seen as normal and accepted as such by members of said society to the befuddlement and horror of outsiders. Which is why the protagonist is so cheerful and pleasant to the people he's talking to, even as he describes them in the most unflattering and racist of terms. It's subtle horror, y'know?
> 
> I tried to avoid setting it in an established country or time period, so I could focus on the mundane nature of the horror. There's some influence from Brave New World with the name of the protagonist (Johannes Ivanov Smith, a name made up of three common names in English, Russian, and German), which was meant to show that the society he lives in isn't stratified along recognizable lines, despite the scientific racism and their classification of people as Ethnotypes. Similarly, the Ethnotypes and the overall language used was meant to not really make sense, with religious (Judaic and Muhammadan) categories alongside ethnic (Anglo-Saxon, Afro-Oceanic, Ibero-Gallic, etc) categories, in order to show just how absurd and arbitrary scientific racism is.
> 
> Naturally, the language used by Johannes in this story isn't meant to reflect my own views and opinions, and that includes the implied stereotypes and characteristics that Johannes associates with the Kauffmanns and the family at the end. Feel free to listen to the music I've linked as you read it, I wanted some listening music that was comfortable and relaxing to fit with how pleasant Johannes is while still contrasting with the unpleasant racism he believes in.

[**Papers, Please**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxXdX8mQgK4)  
  
"Papers, please!"  
  
It was a common phrase in the offices of the Citizens' Immigration Bureau, though every Citizen-Inspector used a different tone depending on their disposition, ranging from indifferent to malicious. This wasn't the case for Johannes Ivanov Smith, however, as he greeted every new arrival with a smile and the same cheery refrain as always. Of course, despite his friendly disposition, his job was nevertheless a serious one. After all, it wouldn't do to allow every Thom, Dick, and Jaime to become a full-fledged citizen of the Nation. Which is where the Citizens' Immigration Bureau came in. It was the job, nay, the _patriotic duty_ of Citizen-Inspectors like Johannes to assess the many huddled masses of prospective citizens who came to the shores of the Nation and determine who was fit enough to be an acceptable member of Society. Smiling at the latest group of applicants in his queue – a family of four – he looked over the paperwork that the father, a middle-aged man in a disheveled yet fine-looking suit, had handed him. One of the children, a little girl, clung tightly to her mother's skirt as she stared at Johannes in his pristine citizen-inspector's uniform, obviously frightened by the sheer sterility of their surroundings. The rest of the Nation wasn't like this, but the CIB had to take every precaution in order to prevent any communicable disease from spreading into Society. Noticing the fearful look on the young girl's face, Johannes dug around in his pockets for a second before holding out a small _Soma Sucker_ to the girl, who only took the proffered sweet after her mother coaxed her into accepting it in their native tongue.  
  
Getting back to the task at hand, Johannes scanned the applicant forms, making sure that everything else had been filled out correctly before he found exactly what he was looking for. The section showing the most important part of the assessment process: the family's Ethnotype category.  
  
"Well, Mister..." Johannes squinted at the page, trying to figure out exactly how to pronounce the applicant family's name. "Kauffmann? Did I say that correctly?" The father nodded in assent. "Well, Mister Kauffmann, it appears that you and your family are all acceptable members of Society, and I'm more than willing to give the go-ahead for you to become full citizens of the Nation. However, there is one thing that I have to address before that can happen. Namely, the matter of your family's Ethnotype category." As Mr. Kauffmann looked at him with confusion, Johannes continued. "You see, Mister Kauffmann, our processing system has categorized you and your family as belonging to the Judaic Ethnotype."  
  
"Judaic? Ethnotype? W-what does that mean? Is there something else that we have to do to become Citizens?" Kauffmann asked, a look of concern and confusion on his face. "I can assure you, we have enough money to start our new life here."  
  
"Oh, but that's exactly it, Mister Kauffmann!" Johannes replied, clapping his hands together with a smile. "You see, members of the Judaic Ethnotype are naturally greedy, though that's through no fault of your own really, your ancestors were just naturally greedy! Now that isn't a problem when it comes to your entrance into the Nation, far from it, but in accordance with the Nation's Lamarckian Code, there are a few steps that we here at the Citizens' Immigration Bureau have to take so that you and your family are able to properly adapt and integrate into Society. Namely, we have to break the cycle of inherited greed in order to ensure that the traits that you inherited from your ancestors aren't passed down to your children and the next generation."  
  
"Lamarckian Code? Inherited greed? What are you talking about, I don't understand!" Kauffmann began to sweat, looking around nervously. "Can we become citizens, or not? My wife and our children, we just want to have a fresh start. We were told that we could have that here. Can't we?"  
  
"Of course you can, Mister Kauffmann, don't panic! The Nation is more than willing to give you and your family a fresh start and a new place in Society." Johannes smiled sweetly in order to assuage Kauffmann's concerns. He was used to dealing with applicants like this, who didn't understand the Lamarckian Code and how it benefitted their Ethnotype. Some Citizen-Inspectors were harsh with their applicants, but Johannes knew that the secret to being a successful Citizen-Inspector was to treat all his applicants with the same amount of kindness that he treated anyone else. He'd been lucky enough to have been born a Citizen, but his parents hadn't been so lucky and had to go through the process of integration that the Lamarckian Code required when they first came to the Nation. But then, his parents were members of the Anglo-Saxon and Germano-Slavic Ethnotypes, so they were already viewed favorably according to the Lamarckian Code, unlike the Judaic Kauffmanns. Remembering that he still had a job to do, Johannes continued to address Kauffmann. "As I was saying, Mister Kauffmann, we have to break the cycle of inherited greed associated with members of the Judaic Ethnotype, and we here at the CIB have found that the easiest way to do that is by appropriating and re-distributing their wealth to existing Citizens. Does that make sense?"  
  
"Appropriating and re-distributing our wealth? You mean you're going to take our money and give it away? No, that doesn't make any sense! None of this does!" Kauffmann was getting more and more agitated now, as the reality of the situation began to sink in. "How are we supposed to survive if we don't have any money? Please, we just wanted to find a new home for our children.."  
  
"And you will, Mister Kauffmann, I can assure you! Myself and my fellow Citizen-Inspectors of the CIB are dedicated to helping new Citizens such as your family successfully find their feet in the Nation. While I understand that your very nature as a member of the Judaic Ethnotype makes it hard to accept that the re-distribution of your wealth is necessary for your integration, believe me when I say that you'll be better off for it! I know it's hard to believe, but it really is for the benefit of both your family and your Ethnotype. Now, it says here that you were a merchant-trader prior to immigrating, correct?"  
  
"You mean our store? Y-yes, that's right. It's been the family business for generations." Kauffmann was flabbergasted by the Citizen-Inspector's attitude towards him and his family. He'd just admitted that they'd be stripped of their wealth by virtue of their _heritage_ and now he was saying that this new country would take them in and accept them.  
  
"That's just it, Mister Kauffmann! That is exactly the type of problem that the Lamarckian Code is meant to solve. Your family has been in the business of commerce for generations, accumulating wealth and prospering to the detriment of others. Therefore, your ancestors have been passing down the inherited greed characteristic of members of the Judaic Ethnotype. By re-distributing your wealth and breaking the cycle now, we're sparing your children from a future of greed and showing them the way to be ideal Citizens." For some, it might have been a bald-faced lie, but Johannes was genuine. He wanted the best for his applicants, and only through strict enforcement of the Lamarckian Code could they become valuable Citizens of the Nation and be properly integrated into Society. Sure, they would miss their former wealth, but that would soon be replaced by pride in their status as Citizens and proper members of Society, having broken the cycle of inherited greed endemic to their Ethnotype through hard work and perseverance.  
  
"But what about our money and our family business? How will we survive here without them?" Kauffmann was beginning to calm down, but there was still a hint of apprehension in his voice. It was time for Johannes to convince him of the benefits of Citizenship.  
  
"No need to worry about that, Mister Kauffmann! The Nation provides for its Citizens, no matter their Ethnotype, and the same is true for your family. As we speak, your wealth is being appropriated and re-distributed to those Citizens who need it more. You and your family may not be merchant-traders anymore, but given your Ethnotype's natural proficiency in commerce and your family history as merchant-traders, the Citizens' Immigration Bureau can set you up with employment as the Operator of a Citizens' Commissary! There, you can help provide other Citizens with goods much like you did in your previous life, but now it will be for the benefit of Society and the Nation. In fact, you'd be the new Operator of the Citi-Comm in my Habitation Zone, so I suspect we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the foreseeable future! I'd be more than happy to help you and your family get integrated into Society."  
  
Kauffmann began to nod, as he slowly became convinced by the Citizen-Inspector's argument. Maybe life here wasn't too bad, if it gave his family a fresh start, and even gave him a job. As he thought about what this meant for his family, Johannes continued.  
  
"Of course, in order to prevent the cycle of inherited greed from starting up again, a large portion of your salary will be appropriated and re-distributed in order to fund the continued maintenance of the Citi-Comm, the Hab-Zone, and your residential dwelling, though you do get to keep a small amount for various personal expenses. The Nation provides for its Citizens, after all. Furthermore, as Operator, you'll get first pick when the weekly delivery of goods comes around. All that being said, Society can't function if Citizens take advantage of the Nation's generosity for their own gain and violate the Lamarckian Code, and those that do will be punished severely. I trust you understand that?"  
  
"Y-yes, yes, of course. I just want to provide for my family, that's it." Kauffmann stammered out, desperate to make sure his family was safe and alarmed at the prospect of punishment. "We just want a fresh start as grateful Citizens."  
  
Johannes smiled, a pleasant expression clear on his face. "Many of the people I meet here want the same thing, Mister Kauffmann, I can assure you of that. Now then, I'm going to stamp your application forms as approved and hand them back to you. Afterwards, you're going to go through that door to the left of me and present your forms to the fine Arbitrators waiting there for you, and from there you'll be taken to your residential dwelling in the Hab-Zone so you can rest and get settled in. Tomorrow, you'll be taken to the Citi-Comm and given instructions for your new job as Operator. Have a pleasant day, and I'll come by after my shift to check in on you, okay?"  
  
Kauffmann proceeded to thank Johannes profoundly before taking his family's forms and shepherding them through the door as Johannes called for the next applicants in his queue. The rest of the day went by swimmingly as he went through the daily queue. A pair of newlyweds seeking a fresh start, much like his own parents and the Kauffmanns, although the couple he dealt with were members of the Ibero-Gallic and Italo-Hellenic Ethnotypes respectively. An Oriental Ethnotype widower who hoped to serve in the military and prove his worth to the Nation by defending it from outside threats, as well as provide his son with a proper Citizen's education. A young Indo-Eurasian Ethnotype student who wanted to benefit from the Nation's advanced educational system. A large Afro-Oceanic Ethnotype family who sought asylum from the perils of the world outside the Nation, and many others. All of whom Johannes approved in accordance with the Lamarckian Code.  
  
Well, all except one group of applicants, a family of Muhammadan Ethnotype applicants who refused to acknowledge that members of their Ethnotype were naturally violent and quarrelsome, and that meant that Johannes had to call in the Arbitrators to help reject them. It was a messy business, rejection, but the Lamarckian Code laid down very strict guidelines that Citizen-Inspectors like himself had to enforce, and applicants who wouldn't submit to those guidelines forfeited their rights to become Citizens. As he punched his time card into the work clock at the end of the day, Johannes couldn't help but smile. He was doing a valuable service for the Nation, and he was proud of it. Without Citizen-Inspectors like him, the Nation would be overrun by those who rejected the Lamarckian Code, and Society would be destroyed. Instead, the Nation would prosper and Society would thrive, all thanks to the CIB.  
  
**THE END**


End file.
